Polling Underway for By-elections in Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Assembly Elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal

Polling for by-elections in two Assembly constituencies in Maharashtra and one in Gujarat began on Thursday, alongside Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and the first phase of polling in West Bengal, all under tight security arrangements. The bypolls were necessitated by the deaths of sitting legislators. In Gujarat, voting is underway in the Umreth Assembly constituency following the demise of MLA Govind Parmar. In Maharashtra, by-elections are being held in Baramati and Rahuri after the deaths of MLAs Ajit Anantrao Pawar and Shivaji Bhanudas Kardile, respectively. The Baramati bypoll was triggered after former NCP chief Ajit Pawar died in a plane crash earlier this year while travelling to his constituency. Following his death, his wife Sunetra Pawar was appointed Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra and later named chief of the NCP. According to the Election Commission, counting of votes will take place on May 4, with results to be declared the same day. The entire election process is scheduled to conclude by May 6. Meanwhile, polling for all 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu is being held in a single phase, with voting set to continue until 6:00 pm. In West Bengal, the first phase of Assembly elections is also underway, covering 152 of the state’s 294 constituencies. The remaining 142 seats will go to polls in the second phase on April 29. A total of 1,478 candidates are contesting in the first phase. -ANI